According to reports, 21.8% of children between the ages of 3 and 17 are battling with mental health struggles. The high numbers are alarming for parents to pay close attention to the mental health struggles of their children. This is especially essential when your children are in their teenage years. Throughout their puberty period, children will likely be exposed to different environments, people, and emotions. These can give rise to mental health issues, which makes it crucial for parents to consider mental health counseling.
How do you know if your teen child needs mental health counseling?
Your child, when in teenage years, will go through various phases. Understanding when to encourage them to seek mental health counseling can be challenging for parents. Here are a few signs you should pay attention to:
- Your child starts isolating themselves from everyone.
- They do not socialize or get out of their room.
- They do not want to talk to anyone and tend to spend their time alone.
- You notice their eating habits are fluctuating and they are either overeating or not eating.
- Your child is not sleeping or either sleeping too much.
- They are constantly furious about things.
- They get triggered even at the slightest inconvenience.
- Your child keeps talking negatively about everything.
- They are not studying properly, and you see their grades falling (in the case of bright students).
- You notice a lack of energy in them.
- They are constantly tired and restless.
Remember, some children tend to talk about their feelings, while some struggle to communicate. Despite being close to you, they might not be able to express what they are going through. In such situations, it is important to understand how to tackle the situation and encourage your teen to see a mental health counselor.
How can you help your child in such a situation?
Going and directly telling them to “seek mental health counseling” may not be the right solution. Additionally, it can escalate the situation and make your kid furious into believing something is wrong with them. Therefore, you can do the following to ensure you do not contribute to making their situation difficult.
- Before trying to talk to them, make them understand that you are there to listen. Assure them that you do not want to judge them. Instead, you want to help.
- If they are expressing what they are feeling or going through, do not start asking questions or comparing different situations. This will only make them more angry.
- Be patient with your child. Allow them to feel things and politely encourage them to seek counseling. Let them know how their life will significantly improve with it.
Website of Source: Improvinglivescounseling.com
Source: Story.KISSPR.com
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